The skeg of a boat motor is a fin that extends vertically down from the propeller shaft housing to protect the propeller blades, especially while they are rotating (See FIG. 2). Skegs can be severely damaged by impact with solid objects beneath the water surface (e.g. rocks); or boat ramps, and they can be worn down by shallow water dirt, mud, silt and drag forces generated by the water as the boat operates at high speeds. A damaged skeg must be replaced, which can be costly in time and in money for parts and labor.
The prior art discloses skeg shields of various compositions and configurations, wherein some cover only the leading edge of the skeg (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,997 by Guptill, Brian); or part of the engine housing (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 6,503,110 by Lammli, Ernest). Most of these devices are generally made of stainless steel and/or composite plastic material. For example, the SkegShield™ Skeg Guard and the Panther Marine Tech Safe Skeg Protector are made from marine-grade stainless steel. This makes the skeg shield extremely heavy, thus adding to the boat drag and to the difficulty in replacing or repairing the skeg.
These devices also generally require the use of mechanical modifications to affix the skeg guard to the skeg, such as drilling holes through the existing motor housing so that the guard can be affixed with bolts. These modifications will often void a manufacturer's warranty on the outboard motor and/or engine.
The objective of the present invention is to provide a lightweight skeg protector of superior wear resistance, material strength and durability, so as to better withstand impact and prevent damage to a skeg and the engine. It is a further object of the invention for the skeg protector to be quickly installed and without requiring mechanical alterations (e.g. drilling and installing bolts) to the outboard motor.